Journal
CHILDREN & SOCIETY
Volume 31, Issue 1, Pages 13-22Publisher
WILEY
DOI: 10.1111/chso.12158
Keywords
donor conception; donor insemination; donor siblings; same-donor offspring; sperm donation
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Funding
- Wellcome Trust [097857/Z/11/Z]
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This study interviewed adolescents conceived using sperm donation to examine their experiences of contacting and meeting 'same-donor offspring' (i.e. donor-conceived offspring raised in different families who share the same donor), their motivations for this contact, and how they make meaning of these relationships. This in-depth qualitative study involved semi-structured interviews with 23 young people aged 12-19 years (mean = 14 years). Interviewees were motivated by curiosity about their biological relations and by wanting to extend their family. Contact with same-donor offspring was described as being either normal/neutral or as a unique experience that was integrated into their identity. This study highlights the importance of contact between same donor offspring, particularly during adolescence, a developmental stage associated with identity formation. The findings have important policy implications as they suggest that donor-conceived individuals may benefit from contact with others conceived using the same donor prior to the age of 18 years. (C) 2016 The Authors. Children & Society published by National Children's Bureau and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
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